Nepal Desperate to Level Terms against the Netherlands in Second ODI

After losing their maiden one-day international, new entrants Nepal will look to finish strongly in the 2nd ODI of the series against the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the first step of their new journey did not go as expected, as Nepal lost to the Netherlands by 55 runs in the first ODI despite being dominating the large part.

The Netherlands managed to score a mere 189 after winning the toss and electing to bat. However, the relatively meagre-looking target proved to be far out of the reach of the visitors, who could only manage 134 despite being at 85/1 at one stage.

After a spirited performance from their bowlers, Nepal batsmen let them down. Gyanendra Malla (51) and Anil Sah (21) had added 58 runs for the first wicket. Moreover, barring the top four, which included Paras Khadka (12) and Dipendra Singh Airee (33), none of the Nepal batsmen could get to double-digit scores.

The new entrants Nepal will have to address their batting problems to win the second game. The bowlers did an excellent job and will hope to continue it led by the skipper Paras Khadka.

On the other hand, the Netherlands struggled despite being more experienced than Nepal. Apart from Michael Rippon and Bas de Leede (30), not many batsmen could play a good hand, and that could be a problem for the Netherlands in the upcoming tie.

Rippon starred with the ball as he bagged three wickets, and was well-supported by skipper Pieter Seelar. So, it’s the batting that both teams will be concerned with, as they look to make a big statement in the last fixture.

Key Players

Michael Rippon (The Netherlands): Rippon’s all-round performance did wonders for his side in the low-scoring first game, and he will be a big threat for Nepal. He batted well with the middle order and then came back to dismiss two of Nepal’s top five to complete an all-round performance and win the Man of the Match award.

Paras Khadka (Nepal): The Nepal captain did well with the ball, dismissing four Netherlands batsmen, and played a key role in restricting the opposition to a chaseable target. However, he could not quite replicate his performance with the bat.

However, with enough experience, Khadka can prove out to be the key man in the must-win clash.

Fact and Figures

• The Netherlands have managed to win one out of their last ten matches at this ground with one game finishing in a tie. The only win came against Nepal in the previous game.
• Sri Lanka registered the highest score of 443 for nine against the Netherlands in 2006 at this very ground. However, the Dutches have only managed to score 268 runs, five years back.

Pitch and Conditions

A hot and humid day awaits the teams with temperatures likely to rise as high as 29 degree Celsius. The humidity is likely to be around 48%.

The pitch wasn’t too bad to bat on, as the players who got starts proved. The trick is in settling down, which proved difficult for most batsmen from both sides.

Where to Watch

Kantipur TV will telecast the 2nd ODI live in Nepal. Furthermore, www.livebroadcast.nl will live stream the match.

Predicted XI

Match Prediction

Netherlands looked better out of the two sides in the first ODI and will look to bank on their confidence going into the second game. However, Nepal are a new side and will have their nerves in their hands, as they hope to create magic.

But with experience on their side, host the Netherlands are likely to win the match and the series as well by a 2-0 margin.